Turkey time savers

Chicago Parent Staff

Your lifeThanksgiving can feel out of control. Here are some time saver (and sanity saver) tips from the Butterball Turkey Talk Line, 1-800-BUTTERBALL, which opens Nov. 3.

• Don’t do all the cooking yourself. Potluck dinners are all the rage. E-mail a side dish sign-up sheet to guests and ask them to bring different dishes or desserts for the meal.

• Butterball recommends refrigerator thawing—one day for every four pounds of turkey. If short on time, try the quick water thaw method. Submerge the turkey in its unopened wrapper in cold water and change the water frequently. Thaw 30 minutes for every pound of whole turkey.

• Only one oven? Cook the turkey first and get it out of the way. You can keep it piping hot for about an hour after it comes out of the oven by wrapping the entire turkey and pan in foil and placing a large bath towel on top.

• Test out the roasting pan before the big day arrives. This will prevent any surprises if your turkey doesn’t fit into your pan (or the pan doesn’t fit in the oven).

Butterball.com will host Web chats Nov. 11, 18 and 25 so you can ask the turkey experts anything to make your day go more smoothly. While there, check out the new recipes.